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Full information about Plaquenil

General Information on Plaquenil

Plaquenil is used to treat specific types of malarial infections (caused by P. malariae, Plasmodium vivax, susceptible strains of P. falciparum and P. ovale). It is also prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (including chronic discoid lupus and systemic lupus erythematosus).

Hydroxychloroquine, the main active ingredient in Plaquenil, is also its chemical name, and it belongs to a family of drugs known as antimalarial, anti-inflammatory (disease-modifying), and anti-rheumatic medications. It works by penetrating the bacteria in infected RBCs and forming complexes with parasite DNA. This action interferes with the important internal functions of bacteria, which leads to their death.

Plaquenil works differently in the case of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It restricts immune system reactions that are considered to be the causes of these diseases.

The medication is available in the form of a tablet. The drug is a prescription medication, which means you should consult your doctor before you buy Plaquenil.

Side effects of Plaquenil

Some common side effects associated with Plaquenil are headaches, vomiting, loss of appetite, ringing of the ears, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nervousness, nightmares, or irritability. Consult your doctor if any side effects become bothersome or persist.

Plaquenil may also cause severe side effects in some people. Delusions or hallucinations, easy bleeding or bruising, seizures, hearing loss, numbness or muscle weakness, and frequent/severe infections are some severe side effects associated with Plaquenil. The medication may also cause heart problems or allergic reactions. Stop using the medication and seek help immediately if you notice or experience severe side effects after using Plaquenil.

Plaquenil is listed as a pregnancy category C drug. It is not known whether it passes into breast milk. Therefore, pregnant women, women who are planning to get pregnant, and nursing mothers should learn about the risks and benefits of using the drug from their doctor before they buy Plaquenil online.

Dosage of Plaquenil

The dosage of Plaquenil depends on various factors such as the medical condition being treated, the age and weight of the patient, other medical conditions he/she has, and the other drugs the patient is using. The recommended dosages for various conditions are as follows-

To prevent malaria - the recommended adult dose is 400mg of Hydroxychloroquine on the same day each week. You need to start taking Plaquenil two weeks before visiting an endemic area and continue suppressive therapy for eight weeks after leaving the endemic area.

To treat malaria - the recommended initial dose for adults is 800mg Hydroxychloroquine followed by one 400mg Hydroxychloroquine dose in the next 6-8 hours. You will also be required to take one 400mg dose each day for the following two consecutive days.

To treat lupus erythematosus - the recommended initial dose for adults is 400mg Hydroxychloroquine once or twice a day. The maintenance dose is in the range of 200mg to 400mg daily.

To treat rheumatoid arthritis – the recommended initial dose for adults is in the range of 400mg to 600mg daily. The maintenance dose is in the range of 200mg to 400mg. Take the Plaquenil 200mg tablet with food or a glass of milk.

Interactions

Plaquenil may potentially interact with other medicines you are using and cause side effects. It may interact with specific beta blockers, specific parasite medications, Digoxin, Mefloquine, Cyclosporine, and Phenothiazines. This is not a complete list of medications that may interact with Plaquenil.

To reduce the risk of drug interactions, consult your doctor before you buy Plaquenil and inform him/her about every medicine (prescription drugs, over the counter medicines, and herbal supplements) you are using before starting treatment.

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All medical content is supplied by a third party company who is independent from this web site. As such, this web site can not guarantee the reliability, accuracy, and /or medical efficacy of the information provided. In all circumstances, you should seek the advice of a health professional pertaining to drug, treatment and/or medical condition advice. Note that not all products are shipped by our contracted Canadian pharmacy. This website contracts with dispensaries around the world that ship products directly to our customers. Some of the jurisdiction include but are not limited to United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, India, Canada, Vanuatu, Mauritius, and USA. The items within your order may be shipped from any one of these jurisdiction depending on the availability and cost of the products at the time you place your order. The products are sourced from these countries as well as others. Please note that the product appearance may vary from actual product received depending on availability.

What is a "Generic" medication/drug?

Generic drugs are medications that have the comparable medicinal ingredients as the original brand name drug, but which are generally cheaper in price. Nearly 1 in 3 drugs dispensed are "generic". They undergo comparative testing to ensure that they are the same as their "brand" counterparts in:

Active Ingredient (e.g. "Pravastatin" is the active ingredient in brand name Pravachol)

Dosage (e.g. 10 mg of the active ingredient)

Safety (e.g. same or similar side effects, drug interactions)

Strength

Quality

Performance (e.g. 10 mg of a "generic" can be substituted for 10 mg of the "brand" and have the same therapeutic result)

Intended use (e.g. both "generic" and "brand" would be prescribed for the same conditions)

What this means is that "generic" medications can be used as a substitute of their brand equivalents with comparable therapeutic results. There are a few exceptions (examples are outlined at the end of this page) and as always you should consult your physician before switching from a brand name medications to a generic or vice versa.

What differences are there between generic and brand?

While generics and brand equivalent drugs contain comparable active ingredients, they may be different in the following ways:

Color

Shape

Size

Cost

Appearance (e.g. the scoring or markings)

The color, shape and size of the medication come from the fillers that are added to the active ingredients to make the drug. These fillers that are added to the drug have no medical use and do not to change the effectiveness of the final product. A generic drug must contain comparable active ingredients and must be comparable in strength and dosage to the original brand name equivalent. Generic drugs can be more cost effective than purchasing the brand name.

Why do generics cost less than the brand name equivalents?

When a new drug is "invented", the company that discovered it has a patent on it that gives them the exclusive production rights for this medication. Once the patent expires in a country, other companies can bring the product to market under their own name. This patent prevents other companies from copying the drug during that time so they can earn back their Research and Development costs through being the exclusive supplier of the product. After the patent expires however, other companies can develop a "generic" version of the product. These versions generally are offered at much lower prices because the companies do not have the same development costs as the original company who developed the medication.

The main thing to realize here though is that the two products are therapeutically comparable. They may look different, and be called something different, but they are required to be have the same active ingredient.

How are Generic drugs tested to ensure quality and efficacy?

The two most generally accepted methods to prove the safety of a generic version of a drug are to either repeat most of the chemistry, animal and human studies originally done, or to show that the drug performs comparably with the original brand name drug. This second option is called a "comparative bioavailability" study. During this type of study, volunteers are given the original drug, and then separately later the generic drug. The rates at which the drug is delivered to the patient (into their blood stream or otherwise absorbed) are measured to ensure they are the same. Because the same active ingredient is used the major concern is just that it delivers the common chemical(s) at the same rate so that they have the same effect. Please note that the methods that the manufacturers use may vary from country to country.